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THE HEALTHY MEN STUDY: A MODEL APPROACH FOR EXAMINING POTENTIAL MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER.
Citation:
PERREAULT, S. D., A. F. OLSHAN, L. BRADLEY, R. CHAN, L. LANSDELL, D. SAVITZ, R. M. BUUS, L. F. STRADER, S. C. JEFFAY, D. M. DEMARINI, N. M. HANLEY, A. HERRING, AND T. LUBEN. THE HEALTHY MEN STUDY: A MODEL APPROACH FOR EXAMINING POTENTIAL MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER. Presented at Gordon Conference on Drinking Water Disinfection By-products, S. Hadley, MA, August 13 - 18, 2006.
Description:
The Healthy Men Study (HMS) is a prospective multisite community study on drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and male reproductive health. We are testing whether exposure to DBPs in drinking water may be associated with altered semen quality, a hypothesis derived from toxicology studies indicating that individual haloacetic acids, particularly dichloroacetic acid, dibromoacetic acid and bromochloroacetic acids are testicular toxicants in male rats. Here we report design considerations and participant characteristics. HMS participants were recruited by letter and telephone from metropolitan areas in three states in which treatment by chloramination results in drinking water that is either 1) low in DBPs, 2) relatively high in chlorinated DBPs, or 3) relatively high in brominated DBPs. Adult men (aged 18-40) who were resident partners of women enrolled in a larger pregnancy outcome study were contacted and 25% agreed to participate in the HMS. Of these 84% (229) completed a telephone interview to obtain information on their water consumption, health and lifestyle factors that could impact semen quality, and mailed a semen sample to the EPA laboratory. Participants were more likely to be white, more highly educated, married, and have a higher household income than the underlying study cohort. Preliminary laboratory studies showed that measures of semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm morphology and sperm DNA damage were reliable in semen samples shipped via overnight courier provided a cold pack was included to control temperature. Participants were later re-contacted to request a mouth rinse sample for DNA analysis, also using a mail in system. DNA was analyzed for GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTZ1 polymorphisms that may modify an individual's response to cigarette smoke and THMs, respectively. Remote semen and DNA collection thus provided a practical approach for sampling these men from diverse locations. In conjunction with questionnaire data, the water monitoring data (biweekly levels of 5 regulated and 4 non-regulated haloacetic acids and regulated THMs) will be used to model individual exposures to DBPs. Results of analyses relating exposure and semen quality, expected by the end of the year, will provide the EPA¿s Office of Water with new information regarding potential human male reproductive effects of DBPs that may help inform future rulemakings. This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA policy. Funded by CR 829327(AO). IRB approval for use of human subjects was was obtained from UNC School of Public Health.